Soap dispensers are most commonly used in the kitchen and bathroom. For convenience, many soap dispensers are installed into the counter top next to the sink in the kitchen and bathroom. Although these mounted soap dispensers provide a level of convenience, there is room for improvement.
For example, it is instinctive for a user to reach for the soap dispenser with a single hand. Due to the mechanics of operating a manually pumped soap dispenser, it is difficult to press the actuator down with one hand and receive soap in the palm of that hand without using another hand. As a result, users have grown accustomed to pumping soap dispensers with one hand and receiving soap in the other hand. This action can be cumbersome and time consuming.
This disadvantage has been overcome by electronic soap dispensers with limited success. Electronic soap dispensers first sense when a user's hand is present and then automatically dispense soap. One drawback to electronic soap dispensers is that a pre-determined amount of soap is dispensed. Some users receive more than desired, while others receive less than desired. Additionally, false triggers may cause the electronic soap dispenser to dispense soap when there is no hand present to receive the soap. Furthermore, users may experience frustration when the electronic soap dispenser is low on or out of power or malfunctions.
Therefore, what is needed is a soap dispenser that is manually powered and suited for one-hand operation. What is also needed is a soap dispenser that may dispense soap with one-handed operation as well as two-handed operation, since some users are accustomed to this second type of experience. Lastly, what is further needed is an overall improved soap dispenser.